tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24944954490478256412024-03-13T14:03:55.147-05:00Team PugLaineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-15213711853062600532014-02-12T12:36:00.001-06:002014-02-12T12:36:33.453-06:00Leaving on a Jet Plane<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It’s been a
few weeks since my last post…and for good reason. We packed our bags 2 weekends ago and headed
south for the winter. We (ok…I) wasn’t
quite ready to go somewhere without Sassafras for an entire week so we decided
to take her along for the ride. Choosing
a vacation spot with a little one is a delicate process…adult time, child
friendly, budget conscious, and somewhere warmer than MO in the dead of
winter. We decided on a Royal Caribbean
cruise (Liberty of the Seas) that sailed out of Ft. Lauderdale, FL and stopped
in Belize City, Belize and Cozumel, Mexico (two ports we hadn’t been previously). We sailed on a sister ship 5 years ago and
loved the experience. The company’s
website touted their family friendliness…even for children under 3…all things
considered, we thought we found a real winner.</div>
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<br /></div>
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In my mind
the experience was going to be fantastic…the ship had a pay-as-you-go daycare
so Little Bit would enjoy time with qualified caretakers when JPug and I wanted
to have a nice dinner or hit up the gym.
We were hoping for the perfect balance of spending time as a family and enjoying our time as a couple. In
reality, the experience was so-so for a multitude of reasons. So mediocre, in fact, that this was the first
vacation I can honestly say I would have rather stayed home.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Pros:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Our
stateroom attendant was AWESOME. <i>She was ridiculously helpful and really
catered to us (although she had a number of other rooms she was responsible
for). The only way Royal Caribbean has
to recognize an excellent team member is to provide them with an additional tip
(which we did)…too bad for Heather from Trinidad & Tobago that we couldn’t
shout it from the rooftops.</i></li>
<li>The
entertainment on board was really first class.<i> We saw a number of shows and I
would rate them all somewhere between good and great.</i></li>
<li>Our port
excursions were excellent experiences! We took a private tour with the director of
the Belize Zoo (in a Jaguar’s cage, up close and personal with Toucans, etc.) and
joined a local Cozumel Chef for a culinary tour. Both excursions were booked outside of the
cruise line and were fabulous.</li>
<li>The weather! Can’t beat 75 and sunny when KC is below
freezing and under a foot of snow…literally!</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<o:p> </o:p>The Cons:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Pay 3<sup>rd</sup>
person rate for a 3<sup>rd</sup> person no matter the person’s age…14 months or
50 years.</li>
<li>Although the
ship touted being family friendly, they didn’t offer changing stations in any
bathroom or cups with lids in any dining area.
<i>Seriously?! Aren’t those two of the top things you’d be
sure to have on board if you’re going to welcome children under 3?</i></li>
<li>We also had
a lot of difficulty getting a high chair (waited more than 10 minutes) in both
the main dining room as well as the buffet.
<i>The issue wasn’t lack of
availability, it was lack of service.</i> </li>
<li>Special
programming for children under 3 was not as advertised.<i> The website shows special developmental
programs for families to enjoy together but they didn’t seem to exist.</i></li>
<li>The Food!<i> I
couldn’t even believe it…5 years ago our dining experiences were top notch. Unfortunately, this time around the food was
some of the worst we’ve ever had.</i></li>
<li>In two
instances, family members added shipboard credit to our account so we could
enjoy the ship’s amenities at no additional cost to us. In both instances, the Royal Caribbean
representative on the phone asked what they would like their notification card
to say but we never received the information.<i> Talk about sounding ungrateful
when you recap the trip and have no idea credit was given as a gift.</i></li>
<li>Available
elevators were hard to come by. <i>Carrying a 20-lb toddler up 10 flights of
stairs isn’t feasible so the alternative was to wait a LONG time.</i></li>
</ul>
<br />
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I’m sure I
seem ungrateful for our experience and that’s absolutely not the case. My problem is that the service and experience
should be commensurate with the price of the trip and therein a major
discrepancy lies. We relied on
information provided by the cruise line to choose our vacation and the “caring
details” for children under 3 were all but forgotten. At least we’re wiser for the future and I can
say with certainty that we won’t make the same mistake twice. I did send a letter voicing my concerns to
Royal Caribbean and will provide an update if I receive a response. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
You may be
thinking the least I could do is provide a few pictures of our trip. Well, on the last day we (most likely I)
misplaced JPug’s phone…which was on airplane mode (no find my iPhone). Unfortuately, all of our vacation photos were
lost with the phone. Also, no iCloud
backup because wifi on the ship is $0.85/minute and we would have never thought
of the downstream ramifications of losing phone…airplane mode…no iCloud backup…no
vacation photos. Yes…I may never forgive
myself for that one! I had a handful of
photos on my phone…below is Little Bit playing in the pool on our first day.</div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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Given our
experience…do you have any recommendations for successful vacations with toddlers?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-81227743889052347952014-01-27T10:38:00.000-06:002014-01-27T13:47:37.820-06:00A Few Thoughts on the Gym<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This month,
I started back at the gym after an almost two year hiatus. Infertility treatments, pregnancy, a newborn,
working full-time, and JPug’s work/travel schedule didn’t leave much
opportunity for me-time. When 2014 rolled around, I decided to make myself
a priority which meant paying the neighbor girl to watch Elle for a couple of
hours a week so I could go to the gym.
We had a Title Boxing Club membership that was on hold for nearly two
years so back to Title I went (at least until July when the membership expires
and I potentially look for something new).
Being at the gym after nearly two years hasn’t been the seamless
transition I envisioned…here are a few thoughts from the last 3 weeks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Since when
is going to the gym a fashion show vs. actually working out? The first day I showed up in my traditional
running shorts and panhellenic (look at that…it has the word hell in it…maybe
it was the subliminal message I never got) rush t-shirt. Literally every other woman at the gym (not
exaggerating!) was in skin tight capri-length yoga pants, a neon racerback
tank, and neon tennis shoes. Say
what?! I’m too cheap to buy fancy
work-out clothes…my sweat-wash-repeat cycle isn’t worth it.</li>
<li>Try not to
overexert yourself during the first 15 minutes of a 60 minute class. What?!?!
My muscles have atrophied over the past 2 years and now I’m exhausted
and can barely move?</li>
<li>Tuck jumps
after having a baby will never be the same.
I tried a couple and nearly peed myself.
Now, I stick with the safer and less (potentially) messy lunges.</li>
<li>No matter
how hard I try or how many days a week I go to the gym, the jiggly spare tire
around my midsection will never go away.
Well, maybe it would go away if I gave up craft beer and bread but that’s
just silly!</li>
<li>Every day I
go to the gym I can feel myself getting stronger. The impossible plank is becoming possible and
the flutter kick/scissor kick combo isn’t complete torture.</li>
</ul>
I may never
be my former fit self again but I’m making progress, carving out time for me,
and making positive strides toward a healthier and happier 2014.Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-1548041997395527162014-01-13T09:11:00.000-06:002014-01-13T09:11:08.862-06:00Talkin’ ‘bout a Resolution<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m typically not one for resolutions. But since 2014
brings a fresh start, JPug and I thought it would be a good idea to put pen to paper
and take a good look at the purposeful life we want to live in 2014. As
my friend Jayme reminded me, putting thoughts and theories into writing creates
a higher level of accountability so I decided to take our goals a step further
and post them for all to see. As you may notice below, our goals aren’t
SMART …who really wants to be that formal…just thoughts we have and
improvements we’d like to work towards over the next year.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eek! I’m already crumbling from this accountability
pressure…just kidding…sort of!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Personal</u><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Make time for me</div>
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Blog</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Volunteer 50hrs/year</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>JPug</u><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Plan father/son trip</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Go hunting</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>TeamPug</u><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Budget</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stick to budget…it’s not there to look pretty and sound fun!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Increase giving to 10%</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hit the gym</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Grocery shop/homemade meals</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unique experiences/explore KC with Elle </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Elle sleeps in crib</div>
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Visit STL once/quarter</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Organize/purge entire house</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Car replacement fund $XX</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Basement finish fund $XX</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Given that we’re nearly halfway into January, I can say that
things are going pretty well. Perfect?! No, but life’s not perfect. We’re making positive changes and feeling
progress…not too shabby. </div>
Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-9043225349167205342014-01-01T11:53:00.000-06:002014-01-01T11:56:17.741-06:00New Year, New...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Happy New
Year.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Have you
missed me?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I've missed
you.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And to be
completely honest, I've missed myself.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Without
sounding overly dramatic, negative, or starting a story that would take too
long to complete, I’ll keep it short and simple. In many ways 2013 was wonderful but it was
also the worst year of my life. 2014
brings a fresh start, a beautiful crossroads of where I've been over the past
365 and where I hope to be over the next 364.
Who knows exactly what 2014 has in store for TeamPug but I hope you’ll
come along for the ride.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cheers &
Happy New Year!</div>
Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-83933164254487968052013-02-22T18:27:00.003-06:002013-02-22T18:27:40.251-06:004 Months Ago...<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
Four months ago I last blogged about my growing belly and our unborn baby, being showered with love, progress in Puglet's room and was looking forward to Thanksgiving, maternity photos, and meeting our new little lady. Believe it or not, a whole heck of a lot has changed since then! I'll try to sum up the last four months in a single post but may break it into a series if things turn from a blog post to book (who am I kidding...a single post is totally impossible). So, without further adieu, here goes...<br />
<br />
<i>Oct. 23 - Nov. 26, 2012</i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
A friend from college, Seng Nickerson/Sengerson Photography took maternity photos. We spent the afternoon at a local park and LOVED the finished product.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" Maternity_0047" height="320" src="http://sengerson.smugmug.com/BabyLove/Lainey-Joe-Maternity/i-vnJ8xBz/0/M/Maternity_0047-M.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="213" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our 3D Ultrasound</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" Maternity_0157" height="213" src="http://sengerson.smugmug.com/BabyLove/Lainey-Joe-Maternity/i-qFsrMM7/0/M/Maternity_0157-M.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet 8+mo Pregnant Jumping Skills</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
We finished decorating Puglet's room...FINALLY!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="213" src="http://sengerson.smugmug.com/BabyLove/Lillienne/i-SXKXFMp/0/M/Pug_0010-M.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="213" src="http://sengerson.smugmug.com/BabyLove/Lillienne/i-f462TZQ/0/M/Pug_0003-M.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="213" src="http://sengerson.smugmug.com/BabyLove/Lillienne/i-s26XHsM/0/M/Pug_0006-M.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<br />
We shared our last pre-babyThanksgiving with loved ones. I always hoped that she would make her entrance on the holiday itself but that didn't happen. Instead, I stuffed myself full of turkey, all the fixin's, and enjoyed family and football.<br />
<br />
The last month of my pregnancy, I continued feeling pretty darn good. I had regular adjustments at the chiropractor and stayed as active as possible. My mom, dad and I spent a good majority of Thanksgiving night/the morning after shopping. I've always loved day Black Friday shopping and figured the exercise would help the 10,000 calories I ate during the day...as well as the baby eviction process.<br />
<br />
The Monday after Thanksgiving (11/26), I visited the OB who seemed to think labor was still a ways off and headed to work after my appointment. After work, JPug and I made dinner and put together a grocery list so I could shop the following evening. <br />
<br />
<i>Tuesday, Nov. 27</i><br />
Tuesday morning I awoke at 5a, about half an hour before my alarm was set to go off. For a few minutes I pondered...do I get up and go to the bathroom now or tough through it for the next 30 minutes?!?! My bladder won out and I swung my feet to the floor and stood up. It didn't take any time to realize I had either become instantly incontinent or my water broke. Not the rush of water you see in the movies but enough water that my pants were a mess and I knew something was different. I made my way to the bathroom to assess the situation and do my business. Everything seemed ok, save my pants puddle, so I made my way back to bed and hit the internet to read about water breaking v. late pregnancy incontinence. The best info I could find said to put a pad in your underwear, wait half an hour, and stand...if the pad is saturated when you stand up, it's your water. Half an hour later, the pad was saturated but I started the process over just to be sure. By the time the second half hour was up, JPug was awake and I explained the situation. We tried the pad test together...same results...and we called our doula around 7a. She confirmed my water likely broke and told me to get up and moving around because I wasn't feeling any contractions.<br />
<br />
I didn't take the doula's suggestion lightly...we got up and got moving. It was too cold to take a walk around the block so instead we baked Puglet's birthday cake, did some laundry, and I took a shower. The OB practice's policy is to go immediately to the hospital once your water breaks due to the risk of infection...I stalled as long as possible and we finally made our way to the hospital around 9a.<br />
<br />
By 10a, I was all checked in and the nurse confirmed my water had indeed broken...with litmus paper (water is basic so the litmus paper turns blue)! Once I was all set up...changed into a hospital gown, baseline vitals taken, and saline lock (IV starter)...the doctor came in and recommended starting Pitocin as my body wasn't contracting regularly. Hoping for a natural labor and waiting for our doula to arrive, we asked the doctor for the ability to walk around and try some other natural methods before starting the meds. The doula arrived soon after and JPug, she and I walked miles in the hospital over the next 4 hours. I'd walk for 40 minutes and head back to our room for monitoring to ensure the baby and I were still doing ok. I tried squats, hip exercises, long strides, fast and slow pacing, and a hot shower but Puglet wasn't getting her eviction notice. About 2p, a different doctor came in (shift change at 1p) and recommended starting Pitocin as my water had been broken for 9 hours.<br />
<br />
Sigh...not was I was planning but I agreed to the Pitocin to play nice...typically once your water has been broken 24 hours doctors introduce the idea of a c-section and Pitocin was the lesser of 2 evils in my mind. After a quick discussion between the doctor, doula, and TeamPug, we agreed to starting Pitocin at 6 units and letting me go for an hour to see how my body responded. A typical starting point for Pitocin is 2 units, increased by 2 every 20 minutes but women's bodies usually process the drug more slowly...basically, by the time your body starts responding the dose is already too high. For me, 6 units was appropriate and my dose never increased. Over the next 4 hours, my contractions got progressively stronger and I dilated from a 2 (at 2:30p) to a 4 (possibly a 5 around 7pm). The doula and JPug practiced different methods to keep me comfortable but the pain became unbearable. Knowing I had been checked recently and was only about halfway dilated, I did some quick math...50% dilated means 50% pain and 100% pain would be excruciating so I made the decision to get an epidural. <br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the anesthesiologist wasn't able to come for an hour. Around 8pm, the nurses sat me up to get the epidural but before they did, they checked my progress one last time. In 60 minutes, I had progressed from a 4 (possibly 5) to a 9.5...and by the simple action of sitting me up, I'd be at a 10. Well, what's a girl to do?!?! It seems pretty silly to get an epidural when you're fully dilated but that's just what I did. I used the next hour to relax and prepare for Puglet's birth. Just before 9pm, the baby started showing signs of distress which wasn't too concerning as the doctor said distress would be the baby's sign that's she's ready to come. I started pushing a few minutes after 9 and at 9:11pm (less than 10 minutes) our little lady was born. Lillienne McGuire Puglisi "Elle", 7lb6oz, 19.5in<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="photo.JPG" height="320" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/?ui=2&ik=e9eef274e6&view=att&th=13d044ec4863ae76&attid=0.1&disp=thd&zw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="235" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby's First Picture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
Well, at least I got as far as Elle's birth...I have a lot more to share but I'll do it another time. I promise my next post won't be 4 months from now.</div>
Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-15760736512041865512012-10-22T16:33:00.001-05:002012-10-22T16:33:45.836-05:00One Month and CountingMark your calendars, folks...Thanksgiving is officially one month from today. For TeamPug, that means our little Puglet is due in just 31 days. Technically speaking, she could arrive anytime between now and the first week of December...talk about a 6+ week window of uncertainty?! Ultimately, I really don't care if she comes tomorrow or 6+ weeks from now...JPug and I are so happy to be expecting a little one that we won't complain. To be completely honest, my hooha would probably appreciate a delivery sooner than later but whatever happens, we'll make it work.<br />
<br />
<b>What's New?</b><br />
Over the past month, we've made some real progress in Puglet's room. My mom visited the last weekend in September and we made a mobile, curtains, and a bulletin board. The same weekend, JPug put the glider back together and configured a cherry blossom tree decal on Puglet's wall. As far as decor goes, we still need to make some shelves but otherwise, it's good to go. Once we're all finished (hopefully this weekend), I'll be sure to blog & post pictures.<br />
<br />
I'll have to devote a separate post to this topic but the first two weekends of October we had 3 AWESOME showers. The first was for friends and family in KC, the second was for friends and family in STL and the third was a surprise shower thrown by my co-workers that caught me totally off-guard. JPug and I are so thankful to be surrounded by such wonderful, supportive people. We are so appreciative and can't wait for everyone to share the love they have for us with our little one.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTTWHj8ikTo/UIW67uYh0kI/AAAAAAAAACk/5m_lW_SEwgw/s1600/46319_10101083474420530_591773650_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTTWHj8ikTo/UIW67uYh0kI/AAAAAAAAACk/5m_lW_SEwgw/s320/46319_10101083474420530_591773650_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a picture of JPug and I (with friends Mark, Jayme & their son Maclin) from our shower in KC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Quick Update</b></div>
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<i>How far along:</i> 35 weeks, 5 days</div>
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<i>Size of baby</i>: Approximately 18 inches long and 5.25 pounds (the size of a honeydew melon).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Total weight gain:</i> 20 pounds</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Maternity clothes:</i> Anything maternity...stretch band pants ROCK!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Sex:</i> Still a girl!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Movement:</i> Depends on the day...sometimes she's pretty active and other times she seems lazy. As long as I feel her moving every day, the doctor said I shouldn't be concerned.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Sleep:</i> Still pretty good. One night last week I didn't even wake up to potty (probably indicative of the fact that I didn't drink enough water in the evening but it was still glorious).</div>
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<i>What I miss:</i> As fall and winter approach, I have to say that I miss O'Fallon Pumpkin Ale and Bailey's.</div>
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<i>Cravings:</i> Any type of food...I've been a hungry, hungry hippo the past two weeks!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Symptoms:</i> Sticking with the chiropractor for regular adjustments, bananas for potassium, milk for calcium and tennis shoes to ensure my leg cramps stay gone. Just this morning I noticed a bit more pressure on my pelvis...I think she may be headed south for the winter ;) I should know for sure at my next OB appointment on Friday.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>What I’m looking forward to: </i>Maternity photos this weekend, finishing Puglet's room, and welcoming our little Puglet into the world</div>
Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-82605066169890181112012-09-26T16:34:00.000-05:002012-09-26T16:35:03.634-05:0012 Weeks Later…<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In case you
haven’t noticed…I’ve been an epic blogger failure over the past 12 weeks. On one hand, it seems as if not much has
changed but on the other hand I can think of all sorts of new things. First things first…still no legitimate belly
pictures. I’m ridiculous…I know…I
promise to have a picture in my next post.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>So, what’s
new?!</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
TeamPug is
officially 32 weeks along! Puglet has
furniture…a bed, dresser, and changing table.
Oh, and a sweet $25 glider that my aunt and cousin scored from a garage
sale. I’ll have to devote a separate
post to furniture bargains because I’m pretty proud of TeamPug in this
department.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
After
finding out Puglet’s gender, one of my best friends from high school, Sarah,
put together an awesome Mizzou Black & Gold gift set consisting of a hand
crafted headband & bow, newborn hat, 12 mo. hat and car seat blanket. I’ll have to devote another post to her
creations because they’re just plain awesome.
In the mean time, you can check out her work/purchase items via Facebook
> B.I.B.S. (Baby Items By Sarah) or the <a href="http://babyitemsbysarah.wordpress.com/">B.I.B.S. blog</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
JPug and I
decided on a theme for Puglet’s room.
Instead of going for a character theme, we went for colors. The main colors are bright pink, brown, and a
muted lime green…with a little rust and a bit of cream mixed in. Sounds potentially horrendous, huh? The palate was inspired by Zoe Pearn’s <a href="http://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/shop/category/sale-items/indian-summer-1/indian-summer-cottons-1/">Indian
Summer</a> fabric line…I found some swatches at a local quilt shop and fell in
love. Right now Puglet’s room is a lot
of ideas and not much execution so we have quite the task ahead of us.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We registered. The registry process is fun but ultimately
more difficult than I would have ever imagined!
Talking to friends, reading reviews and making decisions on products
your child may or may not like was exhausting.
For every good review/highly recommended product, there was a doomsday
review that made us think twice. We’re
not picking a blender here folks…you don’t want the baby swing that will
catapult your little one across the living room! Ultimately we did the best we could…I’m sure we’ll
swear by some products and others won’t work for us…eh…that’s life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We found
some serious end-of-summer clothing bargains.
Besides room décor, JPug and I haven’t purchased much of anything for
Puglet. We’re pretty frugal and are
waiting until after our showers to make purchases. This rule of thumb went right out the window
when both Kohl’s and JCPenny had their summer baby clothing 70% off…AND it was
tax-free weekend. I mean, who can pass
up outfits at 70% off sans taxes?!?! We
ended up purchasing about 20 outfits in a combination of 6mo. and 9mo. sizes
that should get our little Pug through next summer.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We had our
3D ultrasound! Our specific experience
was a bit underwhelming (awesome experience, didn’t get great pictures) because
Puglet decided to keep her knees on her chest and feet and hands over her face
almost the entire time. She literally
looked like a contortionist movie star trying to block the paparazzi’s view…haha…go
figure! We caught glimpses of her little
face here and there and were able to see her open her eyes, yawn and even saw a
bit of hair growing on the back of her head.
I’m really interested to see how much she’ll look (and act) like her ultrasound
pictures/video once she arrives.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
On a more
serious note, August marked our infertility processes’ 2 year mark. It’s really incredible to think back 2 years
and see how far we’ve come. August also
marked the due date of the baby we lost in December. When we originally lost the baby and feelings
were still raw, I was sure the approaching due date would be hard for me. Luckily, I was busy at work and immersed in
happy Puglet thoughts so I didn’t even realize the due date until it had
already passed. I’m not sad to have
experienced our loss and I believe I’m a stronger and more compassionate person
because of it but I’m beyond happy and thankful that we’ve moved forward and
are expecting.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Quick Update</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>How far
along:</i> 32 weeks</div>
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<i>Size of
baby</i>: The size of a large jicama (about
3.75 pounds) and about 16.7 inches long.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Total weight
gain:</i> 14 pounds</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Maternity clothes:</i>
Empire waist dresses, maternity pants and a combination of maternity tops and
pre-pregnancy tops.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Sex:</i> It’s a
girl!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Movement:</i> I definitely
feel her moving every day but the type of movement is hard to describe. Maybe once every 10 days she’s really active…kicking,
punching and changing positions. Most of
the movement I feel is strong flutters here and there and what my friend
Courtney described as “rolling”…more changing positions than discernable kicks
or punches.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Sleep:</i> No complaints. There was a week or so where I was pretty
uncomfortable sleeping but a combination of suggestions from the chiropractor
and OB have me sleeping pretty comfortably these days. Rather than have a mountain of pillows around
me (which JPug dubbed Mt. Pillowmanjaro), I sleep with a single king size
pillow under my head/neck and another king size pillow between my legs. I’m not sure how effective the set-up is…it’s
not uncommon for me to wake up and find myself sleeping square on my back (a
no-no for pregnant women) but I’m still sleeping pretty darn well so why fix
what’s not broken?!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>What I miss:</i>
Until Labor Day weekend…SKINNY JEANS. I
found some skinny jeans with my cousins and good friend from high school over
Labor Day weekend so I’m a happy, skinny jean wearing pregnant gal!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Cravings:</i>
Still none. I may truly be one of the
most boring pregnant ladies ever!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Symptoms:</i>
About 6 weeks ago I started having trouble with my sciatic nerve on my right
side. Almost immediately, I started
seeing a chiropractor as a preventative measure. I’m happy to report that my weekly adjustments
as well as exercises he gave me to do at home have kept my back…my entire body
actually…feeling pretty good. I also
started getting pretty severe calf cramps just over a month ago. The OB attributed the cramping to a water,
potassium or calcium deficiency…I’m sure it wasn’t water (I drink more than 120oz./day)
so I increased my potassium and calcium intake to rectify the problem. The potassium and calcium helped a bit but
the cramps and pain reared their ugly heads at times so the OB recommended
switching to tennis shoes exclusively at my last appointment. Yep…rocking tennis shoes everywhere (with no
calf pain) <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> Last but not least, my belly button is nearly
gone. I still have the slightest innie
but I’ll be honest, it’s not long for this world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>What I’m
looking forward to: </i>Seeing Puglet’s room come together, spending time with
friends and family at our upcoming showers, and meeting our little lady</div>
Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-6944128480936566492012-07-10T15:00:00.000-05:002012-07-11T15:11:44.779-05:00Summer Beer4th of July has come and gone but I can't let summer completely pass without sharing one of my favorite drink recipes...Summer Beer. When I lived in STL, I never heard of the stuff but since moving to KC (six and a half years ago...eek!), I realized just what I was missing!<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
<ul>
<li>1 - 12oz can Frozen Pink Lemonade</li>
<li>Vodka (don't worry if the brand is cheap because the flavor of the lemonade will mask the bite)</li>
<li>4 - 6 cans Light Beer (such as Bud Light)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<i>Directions</i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>In a pitcher, empty the pink lemonade (saving the can)</li>
<li>Fill the 12oz can with vodka and add it to the pitcher</li>
<li>Add 4 - 6 cans light beer (depending on personal taste)</li>
<ul>
<li><i>Note: I prefer to add 6 cans of beer as the pink lemonade is a strong/sweet taste</i></li>
</ul>
<li>Mix & Enjoy!</li>
</ul>
<div>
<i>Additional Notes</i></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>I've never tried traditional frozen Lemonade or Limeade (instead of the Pink Lemonade) but I know folks who have and really enjoy it...totally depends on personal taste.</li>
<li>I've found this to be a great recipe for both med and women...it's stout enough for guys and fruity enough for gals...a win-win situation!</li>
<li>You can double, triple, etc. this recipe to serve a large group...just make sure you have a big enough container. A group of guys I used to work with would make Summer Beer in one of those big Gatorade water jugs you see at baseball and football games...stick with the ratio above and make as much or a little as you'd like. </li>
</ul>
</div>Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-74201223994831867772012-07-05T16:42:00.001-05:002012-07-05T16:42:38.057-05:00Whooah, We’re Half Way There…<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I can’t even
believe it…TeamPug has officially reached the half way mark!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Last Friday,
our third OB appointment started with a sonographer who preformed my
mid-gestation ultrasound. During the
procedure, she took various measurements to ensure Puglet was on track
growth-wise and confirm there were no obvious developmental issues. We were able to see all sorts of awesome
stuff…such as Puglet’s entire spine and 4-chamber beating heart…it was really
incredible! She also snuck a look at
gender without JPug or me knowing! She
concealed gender in an envelope which we took to our local party store along with a
huge cardboard box and asked them to fill it with the appropriate color
balloons. After our visit with the
sonographer, we met the second of six doctors we’ll see over the next 20ish weeks. I really liked this doctor and the experience
at the office was better than our previous two visits…things are looking up!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
That
evening, we planned to have dinner with my folks (who came in from STL) and
JPug’s folks. Before heading to the
restaurant, we opened the box all together and found out we’ll be having a
little GIRL!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g03AV6WouCs/T_YJGG8nl9I/AAAAAAAAACY/_I2qvEwX56U/s1600/Puglet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g03AV6WouCs/T_YJGG8nl9I/AAAAAAAAACY/_I2qvEwX56U/s320/Puglet.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a Girl!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Other than
the ultrasound, I don’t have much new information. A friend of mine provided this short/regular survey
to update folks on her pregnancy. I
really liked the idea so I’m totally stealing it…thanks Courtney!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>How far
along:</b> 20 weeks</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Size of
baby:</b> The length of a banana and about 10.5 ounces. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Total Weight
Gain:</b> 5.5 pounds. I was down 5 pounds
during the first trimester and I’ve gained that back plus an additional
5.5. Although some of you may think 5 +
5.5 = 10.5, I’m sticking with 5.5…and pounds DO NOT round up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Maternity
Clothes:</b> I’ve transitioned to empire waist dresses and maternity pants at
work. Some of my pre-pregnancy summer
shorts still fit so I’m enjoying them while I still can. I purchased a few belly bands but I find them
to be uncomfortable…so it’s mostly dresses or maternity pants for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Sex:</b> It’s a
girl!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Movement:</b>
None yet…the sonographer said I have an anterior placenta (it’s along the
front) which means Puglet will have to kick harder for me to feel her
move. From what I’ve read and what the
doctor told me, it’s common for moms with anterior placentas to start feeling baby
around 22 weeks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Sleep:</b>
Pretty excellent…some nights I even sleep through the night without needing a
potty break! I find that I still sleep
on my stomach or a version of stomach/side even when I try not to. I doubt I’ll be able to sleep on my stomach
much longer because my belly will get too big.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What I Miss:</b>
Nothing really. I’m definitely a gal who
enjoys a good craft beer or margarita on hot summer days but I don’t find that I’ve
minded the switch to lemonade or water one bit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Cravings:</b>
None.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Symptoms:</b>
None…man, I’m boring and lucky at the same time!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What I’m
Looking Forward To:</b> My growing belly (and hopefully boobs), choosing various
items for baby (the process is fun and exhausting/overwhelming at the same
time) and our 3D ultrasound on Tuesday, 9/4.</div>Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-88723822526544660212012-06-27T13:36:00.002-05:002012-06-27T13:36:58.537-05:00Busy Bee - Part 2<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 13<sup>th</sup>)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Mother’s Day
2012 was an interesting one. JPug and I knew
we were expecting for nearly two months…went to numerous doctors’ appointments,
ultrasounds and lab draws…but our parents had no idea. We decided to keep the news from them so they
wouldn’t worry…if we got to the 12 week mark and everything seemed to be ok,
we’d share the news at that time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The
Wednesday before mother’s day, 12 weeks came and went but we didn’t share our
news. As luck would have it, my mom was
extremely busy and couldn’t get away from St. Louis for an entire weekend and
TeamPug was pretty busy in KC too. We
decided to meet in Columbia, MO…half way for both families…to celebrate the
day. We enjoyed a yummy brunch at the
University Club…the same place where JPug and I got married in 2007 and shared our
news before the meal began. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We pulled
out gift bags for each person…JPug’s mom and dad, my mom, dad and stepdad. In each bag was a baby gift customized to the
recipient’s personality and pictures of our growing Puglet. It was pretty special…and a great
surprise…tears, laughter, excitement and a kooky story from my mom. I would share video of the big reveal but
JPug was in charge of the FlipCam and somehow managed to videotape my boobs for
an entire minute so I’ll spare everyone that show.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
All-in-all,
it was a Mother’s Day the 7<sup> </sup>of us likely won’t forget!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Second OB Appointment (Wednesday, May 23<sup>rd</sup>)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our second
OB appointment went better than the first.
Still no…this is definitely the place for me…type feelings but at least
I wasn’t as put off as I was the first time around. After a few quick checks with the care
assistant, she took us into the exam room and we heard Puglet’s heartbeat on a
doppler…144 beats per minute. This was
the first appointment with Dr. K or the OB office that we didn’t have an
ultrasound. It’s too bad we weren’t able
to see how Puglet is developing but hearing a strong heartbeat was definitely
comforting. After a waiting a few
minutes, we met with the first of 6 doctors in the practice…I was happy to meet
with a doctor rather than the nurse practioner.
All in all, the visit went pretty well…the provider was nice and
answered our questions thoroughly. Our
next appointment, on Friday, June 29<sup>th</sup> is a biggie. We’ll have our mid-gestation ultrasound where
the sonographer checks to ensure the baby is developing properly and if Puglet
cooperates, we’ll find out if the baby is a boy or a girl.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Second Round Genetic Testing (Saturday, June
9<sup>th</sup>)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
On Saturday,
June 9<sup>th</sup>, I had my second and final round of labs drawn to complete
our genetic testing series. The draw
itself was remarkably quick…once I checked in, I was finished and walking out
of the building less than 10 minutes later.
The second round of testing checks for markers that could potentially
signal genetic issues and is a more sensitive than the first round. The genetic counselor we worked with at our
previous appointment called the following week with good news…for all markers,
my bloodwork came back as good as it could have been. She said in lab result terms, we got an A+!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Present Day/19 Weeks (Wednesday, June 27<sup>th</sup>)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As
pregnancies go, I think I’ve had the easiest pregnancy imaginable. If it wasn’t for my growing belly and lack of
monthly cycle, I would never even know I was expecting. After the tiredness of the first trimester
wore off (which was truly my only symptom), I’ve been back to my normal
self. I started showing the past
few weeks…transitioned to belly bands to make my regular pants more comfortable
last week and took my first trip to Motherhood Maternity this past
weekend. Now I have some sweet maternity pants
with a stretchy band that reaches all the way up to my bra. Stylish?
Heck no…but wonderfully comfortable!
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I don’t
think about being pregnant or the baby a whole lot. I’m sure it’s because of our initial
struggles and the fact that I’ve seen firsthand how things can fall apart in
the blink of an eye. I’m by no means
consumed with fear nor am I blindly, wildly excited...I’d say I’m more
cautiously optimistic than anything. I
go about my normal routine but take it easy if/when it’s necessary. If we’re lucky enough for the entire process to
work and I deliver a healthy, full-term baby in November, that’ll be
amazing/wonderful/ fantastic but should a glitch in the process arise, we’ll
take it all in stride. For now, we’re
just chugging along and hoping for the best.</div>Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-44164362320323640162012-06-25T13:43:00.001-05:002012-06-25T13:43:29.358-05:00Busy Bee - Part 1<br />
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It’s been
over a month since I’ve blogged…about anything…much less our growing
Puglet. The posts you’ve read over the
past few weeks were written as we experienced the process. Looking back, I’m really happy that I blogged
(although I didn’t post) in real time because you know exactly what I was
thinking and feeling in the moment.</div>
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Unfortunately,
work got incredibly busy and my evenings were consumed with an urge to sleep
that I just couldn’t fight which means blogging came to a complete halt. Now…weeks later…I have my energy back and
LOTS to catch up on. I’m going to try
and regurgitate everything in one post…so I apologize this will officially be
the LONGEST post ever. If it gets too
bad, I’ll split it in two. Happy
reading!</div>
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<i>Search for a Birth Doula (early May)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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After a
round of positive blood tests and multiple and promising ultrasounds, TeamPug’s
first order of business was searching for and securing a birth doula. The quick and dirty regarding a doula…a doula
is a person who meets with the expectant family during pregnancy to discuss
beliefs and concerns about labor and delivery.
She’ll provide continuous support during labor and delivery using
comfort measures and positioning and assists with beginning breastfeeding.</div>
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Our quest
for a doula was three-fold…</div>
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The OB
practice we’re visiting has a rotation of 6 providers we’ll see throughout the
pregnancy. When I go into labor, whoever
is on-call doctor will be the person to deliver our baby. The provider may or may not be someone I’ve
built a relationship with during my pregnancy.
Having a doula ensures that someone we have a connection with and are
very comfortable with is present come delivery day.</div>
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Speaking of
delivery day, the doula will come to our home and help me through early labor
in a more comfortable environment. Once
we move to the hospital, the doula will serve as a supporter and advocate and
will help us understand the medical jargon and various questions/decisions that
come our way. Going the doula route
isn’t right for everyone but the lady we chose seems to be a great fit for Team
Pug.</div>
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<i>12 Weeks (Wednesday, May 9<sup>th</sup>) <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I hit the
crucial, 12-week mark on Wednesday, May 9<sup>th</sup>…yay! All-in-all, I’ve felt great. No nausea or sensitivity to smells or
tastes. There were a few days I felt the
slightest bit nauseous but I’d have a glass of Sprite or Ginger Ale and eat
more frequent, smaller meals which did the trick. My only real side-effect was being
tired. Most evenings, I’d come home from
work…nap for a couple of hours…get up for an hour (maybe two) and sleep the
rest of the night. Plus, when I was
“awake”, I definitely wasn’t productive…sitting on the couch was sometimes the
extent of my productivity.</div>
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<i>Genetic Testing (Friday, May 11<sup>th</sup>)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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During our
first appointment with the OB, the nurse practioner offered the option to have
pre-delivery genetic testing completed.
TeamPug is of the “Knowledge is Power” school of thought so we didn’t
think twice about having the tests done.
On Friday, May 11<sup>th</sup>, we went to another hospital in
the KC metro for testing. </div>
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Our
appointment started with a consultation with a genetic counselor. She took about 45 minutes discussing family
and health history as well as our various risk factors given age and cultural
background. Next, we had an ultrasound
to check the fluid measurement at the back of our baby’s neck (fluid
accumulation, which would lead to a larger measurement could signal a genetic
issue) as well as blood tests to check for markers for Down Syndrome, Trisomy
18 and Cystic Fibrosis. </div>
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The
ultrasound gave us another opportunity to see our growing Puglet. It’s incredible because in just two weeks,
the short, gummy bear-like arms and legs have turned into much longer and
clearly distinguishable arms and legs…and you can easily see the makings of
hands and feet. After a little coaxing,
Puglet got into the correct position and the sonographer was able to get the
neck measurement she was looking for.
The “normal” range for my age and gestation was anything below 2.5 and
Puglet’s neck measured 1.4.</div>
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From there,
we met with a Perinatologist to discuss the results of my initial blood draw at
the OB’s office. The results showed that
I was positive for RH sensitivity which can cause issues for the baby if the
baby’s blood mixes with mine (if both blood types aren’t negative) during
pregnancy. Although the results were
positive for sensitivity, my blood couldn’t be titered which is a really good
sign. Basically, once the lab gets a
positive result from a sample, they cut the sample in half and test it
again...and repeat the process until the result is negative. My initial sample was positive but they were
unable to get a positive reading after they cut it in half (the processing of
titering) so the Perinatologist thought the positive result was likely a
fluke. I’ll have my blood drawn to check
for RH sensitivity again at a future appointment…the OB office and
Perinatologist will determine a course of action based on the results.</div>Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-29580433396280135042012-06-11T15:00:00.000-05:002012-06-11T15:58:13.583-05:00Goodbye, Hello<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Friday , April 27<sup>th</sup> – 10W, 2D</i></div>
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This has
been a busy busy week in the life of our growing Puglet. Monday morning we had our final appointment
at Dr. K’s office; it was definitely bittersweet. Over the past 9 months, we formed a bond with
Dr. K, the nurses and the ultrasound technician in the office. Knowing this was the last time we’d see them
in a long time was wonderful but a little sad at the same time. Through the process, they were awesome…patient,
kind, caring, compassionate. I truly
believe they treated TeamPug the way they would want to be treated themselves and we couldn’t have
asked for anything more. During the
appointment, Dr. K preformed our final transvaginal ultrasound…checking growth (still
right on target) and heartbeat (160 BPM) one final time. She answered a few questions and asked to see
pictures or bring the baby to the office once he or she is born.</div>
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On Wednesday,
we had our first appointment with the OB/GYN practice we’ll see throughout the
pregnancy. I didn’t choose them based on
recommendation…I found the office closest to our home that also accepts our
insurance and figured we’d start there. The office and associated hospital I’ll likely
deliver at are about 5 minutes away...convenience was obviously my driving
force.</div>
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In one word,
the visit was underwhelming. The office was nice and the admin staff seemed friendly enough as they asked me to complete
some paperwork and took my insurance.
The first person we saw was an ultrasound technician who seemed annoyed
she had to wait an extra minute for JPug to sign in. From there, she escorted us back into the
ultrasound room where she logged our information into the computer and asked me
to take a seat. She asked that I pull my
pants down to my hips and my shirt up just below my bra. I’m so used to transvaginal ultrasounds I
didn’t even think that I’d get to have the more traditional, top of the belly
kind. She squirted some jelly on my
abdomen and went to work with her magic wand.
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The picture
from this type of ultrasound is different…rather than seeing planes (body and
hands/feet but maybe no arms/legs), we could see the whole baby. She took some measurements, which continue to
be right on target (10 weeks exactly) and the heartbeat was 153. At one point, she found a clear, open picture
of the baby and showed how it was moving around like crazy. It was really amazing…little Puglet having a
private dance party. Although the
ultrasound technician was never rude, she wasn’t friendly and seemed to rush
through every step the process. As we
finished up, she asked us to wait in a different waiting area, but seemed annoyed
we didn’t know where we were going.</div>
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A few
minutes later, we were escorted to an exam room and waited for the nurse practitioner
to arrive. A care assistant asked some
basic questions and the practitioner came in about 15 minutes later. She went over my health history, discussed
current medications, the lab tests they’d be running, whether we wanted to
complete the recommended birth defect testing and talked a few minutes about
the practice itself. When she was
finished, she answered our questions. Just
like the ultrasound technician…she seemed uninterested in us…like she’d
rather be seeing her next patient. </div>
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Once we were
finished, we moved back into the waiting area for my final stop of the day, the
phlebotomist. Of all the blood I’ve had
drawn since we started with Dr. K…this lady was the worst drawer by far. Considering it was only one needle, I have
quite the bruise on my arm. If
my experience with the lab technician isn’t any better in the future, I’ll
either have blood drawn through the hospital I work at or at a local Quest lab…neither of which
have caused discomfort in the past.</div>
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I’m interested
to see how our next appointment…on Wednesday, May 23<sup>rd</sup>...will go. We’ll see an actual doctor for the visit and
I’m anxious to see if their bedside manner is any friendlier than our initial
experience. If not, we might forego
convenience and look for another OBGYN practice that seems to be a better
fit. One note, I’m not looking for a
best friend or someone to hold my hand and coddle me through the process. But, I am looking for a physician or group of
physicians who treat me the way I would treat them if the roles were reversed. </div>
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<br /></div>Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-90290267694963716872012-06-08T15:00:00.000-05:002012-06-08T16:39:35.598-05:00Friday the 13th<i>8 Weeks, 2 Days</i><br />
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Today is Friday, April 13<sup>th</sup>…eek! JPug and I went in for our 3<sup>rd</sup> ultrasound this morning and I resisted the urge to come in a different day to avoid Friday the 13<sup>th</sup> altogether. Although the appointment date was the slightest bit unnerving, I had no signs that something might be wrong and figured I might as well face my “fears” head on.</div>
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We arrived to open office hours just before 7:30a and were first in to see the ultrasound technician, Sarah. It didn’t take her any time to find our little baby…she took some measurements, thoroughly answered each of our questions and measured Puglet’s heartbeat. It’s crazy to see the changes in our little white blob from our first ultrasound at 6+ weeks to today’s ultrasound at 8+ weeks. Now, you can clearly see which end will eventually become the head, which end will be the butt and the slightest buds where arms and legs are beginning to form. At one point Sarah joked that the baby resembles a gummy bear at this stage of development and proceeded to stick her hands up by her shoulders and wiggle around to simulate the tiny arms…haha! Something new this week, this was the first time we could clearly see the umbilical cord on the screen. We’ve been taking video of each of our appointments with our FlipCam…hopefully I can snap a picture from each ultrasound to show Puglet’s progression.</div>
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In my last few posts, I mentioned the gestational sac and yolk sac and I finally had a few minutes to research both. Per Wikipedia (the most reliable source on the internet…wink wink), the gestational sac is “the only available intrauterine structure that can be used to determine if an intrauterine pregnancy exists, until the embryo is identified”. During our ultrasound, Sarah explained that the yolk sac is where Puglet gets his/her nutrients until the placenta takes over around 10 weeks. During today’s appointment, Puglet measured 1.7 centimeters/the equivalent of 8W, 1D development-wise (right on track) and his/her heartbeat was 164.<br />
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.....</div>
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Judy, Dr. K’s nurse, called in the afternoon to review the ultrasound findings; I wasn’t at my desk so she left a message. I’m very glad to report that she said everything looked good and to keep doing whatever I have been because we’re on a great path. Man, it’s like we might really have a real baby before the end of the year! </div>Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-26824719551638068982012-06-06T15:00:00.000-05:002012-06-06T15:02:21.840-05:00UltraSOUND<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Friday, April 6<sup>th</sup> – 7w2d</i></div>
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Happy Friday everyone! Or…whatever day this post ends up being published, happy that day. This morning, JPug and I went in for our second prenatal ultrasound. We arrived before 7:30a and were the first patients in the office…yes! Dr. K’s office has open hours from 7:30a – 8:30a for labs and ultrasounds which means first come, first served. First in means first out and we can get on with our day.</div>
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Hit the breaks…Sarah, the sonographer, called in sick and Dr. K was on vacation so the nurse asked if we could come back at 8:30a to have the other Dr. K (our Dr. K’s partner) perform our ultrasound. It was only a minor hiccup in our day so JPug and I headed to breakfast and returned about an hour later.</div>
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Dr. K came into the office, introduced himself and got down to business. Let’s just say that the fastest I’ve ever moved with a gentleman…luckily, it was for <s>good</s> great reason! He performed a transvaginal ultrasound…big wand in the hooha...and after a few wiggles of the stick, you could see the big black circle, smaller hollow circle and a little white blob. This time, I remembered to ask what each of the circles is…the big black circle is the gestational sac, the smaller, hollow circle is the yolk sac and the white blob is the baby (I didn’t have to be reminded of that part). At this point, I'm not exactly sure what each of those sacs is or does...stay tuned...hopefully I'll figure that out soon.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hhiHtPYTSAg/T39eGiSpKsI/AAAAAAAAACQ/el6B1HBdUHo/s1600/Ultrasound.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hhiHtPYTSAg/T39eGiSpKsI/AAAAAAAAACQ/el6B1HBdUHo/s320/Ultrasound.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to the wonders of the internet, here's an idea of what today's ultrasound looked like. Big black circle (or kidney bean) is the gestational sac. White ring with hollow center (on the right) is the yolk sac and the white blob to the left of the yolk sac is the baby.</td></tr>
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I had some trouble seeing the little flash/heartbeat on the machine but JPug seemed to see it without issue…it was probably just the awkward angle of trying to look at the monitor while laying on my back, head tilted to the side. At one point, Dr. K asked if we wanted to hear the heartbeat and before we got a chance to respond, he clicked a button on the machine and you could hear our little baby’s heart pumping clear as day. The ultrasound picture reduced in size and a cardiac monitor filled the bottom of the screen…you could see our baby’s heartbeat…constant and strong…it was truly amazing!</div>
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This morning I measured at 7w1d which is right on target given the first day of my last cycle. Technically today is 7w2d but the ultrasound was in the morning so 1 day difference is totally ok. The baby’s heartbeat was 145…28 beats per minute more than last week’s measurement. We’re by no means in the clear but today’s appointment was definitely a step (or maybe a giant leap) in the right direction. Next up is our 8 week ultrasound next Friday…the 13<sup>th</sup>. I’m typically superstitious but I’ve decided to face Friday the 13<sup>th</sup> head on…BRING.IT.ON!</div>Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-73578077914861410982012-06-04T15:00:00.000-05:002012-06-04T16:01:28.649-05:00A Whole New Journey<i>Day 35 - Wednesday, March 21st</i><br />
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<i> </i><br />
TeamPug has officially known we're expecting for 1 full week...I'm exactly 5 weeks pregnant today. Although 5 weeks probably isn't a milestone for most, it is for us. Back in December, 5 weeks is when my body started cycling naturally and our first baby was gone in the blink of an eye. This time around, I've had 3 really good blood tests and am hopeful we'll make it to the next big benchmark...12 weeks.<br />
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Although I'm only 5 weeks along, I have noticed some changes in my body. I started dropping weight almost immediately and have lost a total of 5 lbs. I don't have much of an appetite/fill up quickly and don't have the sweet tooth I usually do. I'm trying to eat more regularly and am enjoying healthy snacks between meals. I haven't experienced any sensitivity to tastes or smells which I'm very thankful for. I get up at least once a night to go to the bathroom and have had some trouble sleeping through the night which is very uncharacteristic for me. My breasts have become tender and I've noticed some changes in my nipples (Probably TMI but I've been open and honest throughout the process so why stop now? I'm trying to stick with the facts here folks!). I've also had spotting on and off for the last week which is really unnerving. I read online about 30% of women experience spotting...sometimes during implantation and sometimes it lingers throughout the entire pregnancy. I haven't had any other symptoms that would signal a problem and my blood tests last week were good even though I was spotting...I'm trying not to get myself worked up over nothing.<br />
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Yesterday, Dr. K increased my synthetic thyroid supplement to 75mcg/day (which should reduce my TSH) and I had my 4th blood test in a week...this one checked Free T4. From what I read on <a href="http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/t4/tab/test">www.labtestsonline.org</a>, providers typically check Free T4 as a follow-up to a TSH test that was abnormal. The Free T4 test allows providers to see a more complete picture regarding thyroid function. Dr. K's office should have my results later this week...hopefully the nurse will call with good news.<br />
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.....<br />
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Dr. K's nurse Jamie just called this afternoon with my Free T4 results...the normal reference range is between 0.7 and 2.0. My result was at 1.1 which is totally normal. I'll stick with the increased thyroid supplement dose which will hopefully lower my TSH and they'll probably test me again in about a month. Last but not least, I asked about my spotting and Jamie said although it's not common, it is normal. As long as i don't experience cramping or blood that's bright red in color, I should assume things are progressing nicely. <br />
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Next up is our 6 week ultrasound next Friday!Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-43760444682088636382012-06-01T14:39:00.000-05:002012-06-01T14:39:30.219-05:00You Never Forget Your First<i>Friday, March 30th - 6W, 2D</i><br />
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Today was a big day...the first ultrasound to see our little Puglet. When I say ultrasound, it's the transvaginal kind (a big wand they stick up your hooha) which gives the technician the ability to see more detail south of the border. At this point, seeing our tiny bean on a more traditional ultrasound...through layers of skin, muscle and organs just wouldn't happen. Today's was the same type of ultrasound I've been having for months. From August 2011 to February 2012, the technician used the machine to check my uterine lining and ovaries as each monthly cycle progressed. Today, we saw the makings of a baby.<br />
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AWESOME...nothing else I can say besides awesome!<br />
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We saw all sorts of things on the screen...the grainy black/white you think of with any ultrasound, a big black hole in the middle, a smaller black bubble in the middle of the black hole and just below the bubble was a bright white spot. The technician was patient and explained all the different things we saw but of course, now I can't seem to remember. What I do know...the bright white spot is our little baby. If you stared at the spot for any length of time, you'd see a tiny flicker...the heartbeat.<br />
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The technician spent the next few minutes taking measurements and let us see the baby one last time so JPug could capture our first ultrasound on our FlipCam. At this point, our parents have no idea we're expecting but we're looking forward to sharing video from each appointment with them when the time is right. Before we left, the technician said Puglet is measuring perfectly...at 6 weeks, 1 day and the heartbeat was 117 (anything above 100 is good news). I should hear from Dr. K's nurse sometime this afternoon and I'll likely go in for my second ultrasound next Friday.<br />
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Oh, and I have my official due date...November 22nd, 2012. I honestly can't think of a better day...11 days after my birthday, one of my best friend's birthdays and Thanksgiving. Pretty perfect...and a heck of a lot to be thankful for!Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-20825874191069181402012-05-30T15:00:00.000-05:002012-05-30T15:38:26.643-05:00Big Money, No Whammies!<i>Day 33 - Monday, March 19th</i><br />
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This morning I traveled to Dr. K's office for my 3rd and final blood test of the initial series. Other than being a little late (open office hours and I wasn't motivated to arrive right when they opened on a Monday), the draw itself was uneventful. Once again, the orders were STAT so they should have my results before the end of the day. Since this draw was technically 3 days after the second, the office will be looking for my betaHCG to be more than double Friday's number (which was 782) and Progesterone should be about the same (which was 38.9). I should also get the results of Friday's TSH test back today. As JPug says, we're hoping for Big Money, No Whammies!<br />
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.....<br />
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Just heard from Dr. K's office a few minutes ago. They called at 3:51p...sure to like to make a girl wait! Today, my HCG level was 2,698 which was more than 3x Friday's number. My progesterone was 30 and my TSH was 5.0. Because the TSH is higher than they'd like, they're going to increase my synthetic thyroid supplement to bring the level down and ensure no unnecessary harm comes to our growing Puglet. I'll have one more blood test later this week to test free T4 (don't know what that is at the moment...will need to do some research to explain) and our next step w/ Dr. K is our 6 week ultrasound on Friday, March 30th.Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-11004257007089295972012-05-28T08:46:00.001-05:002012-05-28T08:47:15.103-05:00Number Two<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Day 30 – Friday, March 16th</i><br />
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This morning I went to Dr. K’s office for my second of 3 blood tests. They’ll be measuring betaHCG, progesterone and TSH. </div>
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HCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone produced during pregnancy. According to AmericanPregnancy.org, it’s made by the cells that form the placenta which nourishes the egg after it’s been fertilized and becomes attached to the uterine wall. In the majority of normal pregnancies, HCG will double every 48 – 72 hours so it’s a good indicator (although not fail-safe) that the pregnancy will be viable long-term. </div>
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Progesterone is measured to ensure the uterine lining is thick…a key component in a successful pregnancy as it helps to create a nutrient-rich environment. I’ve discussed TSH in detail previously but the quick and dirty is that studies have shown developmental delays in children carried by mothers with a TSH level above 4.0. I’ve continued my 50mcg dose of Levothyroxine since Dr. K increased my dose in October and feel pretty good. </div>
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There’s no real target for betaHCG on the initial test but Dr. K looks for it to double every 48 hours. My reading on Wednesday was 345 so today should be about 690 (maybe slightly less as my Wednesday test was over lunch). Dr. K looks for Progesterone to be above 10 (some doctors look for a number above 20) and should remain pretty constant…hopefully it remains close to or higher than Wednesday’s reading of 28.2.</div>
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For now, I’m waiting for Dr. K’s office to call with this morning’s results and hope they’re better than the results of our 2<sup>nd</sup> blood test in December.<br />
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It’s 3:40p on Friday and I’m starting to convince myself that Dr. K’s office won’t be calling today. I’m going through a thousand different scenarios in my mind and am probably getting worked up over nothing…but I just can’t help myself! Dr. K’s nurse Judy finally called at 3:46p…I ran into a work conference room to have some privacy and she began. My betaHCG from this morning was 782 (more than double Wednesday’s number) and my progesterone increased to 38.9…both really good signs. I still haven’t breathed a sigh of relief but I’m very happy that I’m farther along with this pregnancy than I made it in December. Next up is my third and final blood test on Monday. Baby steps…literally! </div>Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-44284029303827689472012-05-24T13:50:00.000-05:002012-05-24T13:50:30.774-05:00An Unexpected Hiccup<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Day 29 – Thursday, March 15th</i><br />
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On my way to work this morning, I was rear-ended on the highway. I had just crossed over the Bond Bridge going south on I-35 (main North to South highway in KC). Traffic in front of me slowed…as did I. I didn’t make one of those super-quick, look in the rear-view mirror to be sure the people behind you stopped too kind of stops…so you can imagine my surprise when swerving cars caught my eye in the rear-view mirror…and I felt an impact. I knew it wasn’t too bad and I wasn’t hurt so I moved my car to the left shoulder, grabbed my phone to call the police and got out to make sure the other drivers were ok. </div>
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Behind me were two cars…a 10-ish year old cranberry minivan with a male driver who was injured and a newer mint green Honda Element with a crunched front end…but the driver was out of his car and seemed to be fine. After a couple of attempts, I called the police, checked on the driver of the minivan and gave a status update to the paramedic dispatcher. We worked with the injured driver to move his car from the center lane to the shoulder and before I was off the phone, the police had already arrived…go KCMO!</div>
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I walked back to my car to assess the damage and grab my insurance card and license. Considering the crash occurred on the highway, I was incredibly lucky. The rear passenger bumper of my SUV had only minor scrapes and dings which can hopefully be buffed out and repainted. Once the medics arrived, their standard protocol is to assess the driver of each vehicle to ensure they can be released without going to the hospital. As they finished my assessment, I asked about the pregnancy. Because the impact was so minor, it’s unlikely I would experience any negative side-effects…very comforting words to hear. </div>
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My car had the least amount of damage and was drivable so the officers took my statement first and allowed me to leave the scene right away…I still made it to work in time for my 8:30am team meeting! Before the day ended, I had already given my statement to our insurance company and their estimator came to assess the damage and provide a quote…go Travelers! I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t an inconvenience but all-in-all, I’m probably the happiest person you’ve ever encountered post-crash…I’m ok, the car is ok and hopefully TeamPug’s newest addition continues to grow.</div>Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-67032333831620892922012-05-22T15:07:00.002-05:002012-05-22T15:07:44.406-05:00Third Time’s a Charm?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">IUI Cycle 3, Day 28 – Wednesday, March 14<sup>th</sup> (Pi Day for you math lovers!)</i></div>
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This morning I woke up just after 1am. Nature called so I made my way into the bathroom and took the test. The package states the result will be ready in about 3 minutes so I finished up my business and moved from the water closet to the main area of our bathroom to wait. Before I had even gotten into the main area (officially the fastest 3 minutes of my life), the result was visible…“Pregnant”. Wowzers. </div>
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Although a positive result should bring a rush of joy and excitement, I have to admit…it didn’t. I’ve had a positive test before…the feeling of ‘Wow, the road to get here was difficult but you finally made it’. I ran out to purchase ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’, signed up for a growing baby notification website and calculated my due date…but not this time around. This time I’m thinking with my head instead of my heart. We have three crucial blood tests to get through over the next week before we can even begin to breathe the slightest sigh of relief. Pretty deep thoughts for 1am, huh?!<br />
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After the positive result sank in, I climbed back in bed and did my best not to disturb JPug. It took me a couple of hours to fall back asleep and I accidentally woke JPug up in the mean-time. I told him about the test...and the result...and we're hoping things will go better than they did in December. </div>
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I went to Dr. K’s office over lunch to have the first of my 3 lab draws…they’ll be checking betaHCG, progesterone and possibly TSH. The office ordered the results STAT so hopefully they’ll get back to me before the end of the day...<br />
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Just heard from Judy, Dr. K's nurse...my betaHCG is 345 and my progesterone is 28.5. In December, the initial reading for my betaHCG was 72 so the fact that today's number was nearly 5x December's brings the slightest bit of comfort. Now Dr. K's office will look for the number to double by Friday (my second blood draw) and double again by Monday (my third and final draw of the initial series). No expectations at this point...just a lot of hope and positive thoughts that this process has a different outcome.</div>
Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-87711107871163521882012-05-21T15:18:00.000-05:002012-05-21T15:18:50.773-05:00The Next Go 'Round<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Day 27 – Tuesday, March 13<sup>th</sup></i></div>
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I haven’t blogged about TeamPug’s 3<sup>rd</sup> round of IUI...until today. We’re nearly 4 weeks into the process and the path we took was virtually the same as the ones we followed in November/December and January/February. The main, albeit minor, difference between the two previous processes was that I took Estroidl before insemination to enhance my uterine lining during round 1 but it wasn’t necessary during round 2. This month Dr. K put me back to Estroidl to ensure my lining was as thick as possible before insemination. </div>
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Just to recap the process…baseline transvaginal ultrasound on day 2, Clomid on days 3 – 7, second transvaginal ultrasound on day 11 and self-administered ovidrel injection on day 12. Day 14, we headed to Dr. K’s office for insemination and we’re happy to report that JPug’s count improved once again. The two weeks between insemination and the big test have gone pretty well. I started volunteering on Monday and Wednesday nights which keeps me busy and work has picked up so my mind doesn’t have much time to wander during the day. Last weekend was jam-packed full of my cousin’s pre-wedding festivities so our process barely crossed my mind…thank goodness!</div>
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Although it’s hard to believe given my two-shakes-from-crazy state of mind last time around, I’ve felt strangely calm about this month’s process. JPug and I have almost always been successful in life…especially if we put our mind to something. If xyz didn’t work out the first time, we tried harder and things went our way the second time around. Infertility is different…no matter how hard you try month after month, it’s a very real possibility that you won’t get the outcome you hope for. For overachieving TeamPug, that’s a really hard pill to swallow. I think my state of mind during round 3 can be attributed to the fact that I’m beginning to realize that we’re putting ourselves in the very best possible situation to be successful and we honestly can’t do anything more. At this point, the outcome is out of our hands.</div>
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I say I’ve been calm about the process and I absolutely have…until this afternoon. After lunch, I noticed some spotting when I used the restroom. About 1/3 of women who become pregnant experience implantation spotting or implantation bleeding; implantation typically occurs 8 – 10 days after ovulation. Because the timing of my cycle is well managed as we go through the process, I know that I’m right at 13 days after ovulation, not 10. Also, the color of the spotting can be an indicator for implantation…typically implantation spotting is pinkish or brownish in color but mine is bright red. These new developments have crushed any semblance of hope I had for this month’s process working. In the blink of an eye (or a couple trips to the restroom), it’s become hard to concentrate at work and all I can think about is skipping my post-work meeting and going home. </div>
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Once I arrived home, I wanted to talk about the process and wanted to ignore it completely…all at the same time. JPug was wonderful and had dinner ready but I didn’t appreciate it. At some point I finally broke down in tears…the thought of another month gone and the uncertainty of what’s to come are totally overwhelming. After dinner, I headed to bed and watched some TV before falling asleep…emotionally exhausted…at 8:30p.</div>
Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-84712201674625526802012-05-18T15:33:00.003-05:002012-05-18T15:33:59.132-05:00Back in Action<br />
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Today is
Friday, May 18<sup>th</sup>…it’s literally been an entire month since my last
blog post which is uncharacteristic for me.
Long story short, life has been B.U.S.Y.
I wouldn’t have it any other way but when things get busy, other stuff
falls through the cracks and for me…blogging has taken a back seat. It’s definitely not because I don’t have
anything to say…on the contrary…I have lots to say but no time to say it. Over the past month, I feel like my life has
been consumed by busy weekends and the essentials…work, eat and sleep. A major project is coming to fruition at work
next Tuesday (eek!) and I couldn’t be happier…life will slow down once more and
I’ll be able to enjoy the little things…like taking walks with JPug and the
pooches, cooking, and blogging. Time for
me to get back to work but more posts to come…have a terrific weekend everyone!
</div>Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-11663731007413030492012-04-18T15:00:00.000-05:002012-04-18T15:00:04.352-05:00Springtime Punch<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Wowzers! Life has been busy lately so I haven't had much time to blog. Below is a ridiculously easy recipe for springtime punch...if you want to wow guests with something yummy to drink but you don't have time to make anything too fancy...look no further!<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i>Ingredients</i></div><ul><li>2-liter bottle white soda such as Sprite or 7-Up</li>
<li>Large can pineapple juice (I believe it’s 32oz.)</li>
<li>Standard size tub lime or raspberry sherbet (your choice depending on color and flavor)</li>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Directions</i></div><ul><li>Use punch bowl or other large bowl to mix punch</li>
<li>Scoop sherbet into loose scoops and add to bowl</li>
<li>Add pineapple juice to bowl</li>
<li>Add white soda to bowl (carefully as it will fizz and may overflow)</li>
<li>Stir to combine ingredients and serve</li>
<li><i>Note: if your punch bowl is small, half all ingredients for the first serving and once mixture is consumed, add ingredients in equal parts to keep bowl full</i></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"> Enjoy!</div>Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-5463984014459207452012-04-10T15:00:00.008-05:002012-04-10T15:59:05.752-05:00Make a Plan<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Last week, a friend and I were chatting about the challenges of planning and executing wholesome, nutritious weeknight meals while juggling jobs, weeknight commitments and household chores. Sometimes it’s just easier to grab something out…quick and easy…which can snowball into costly and unhealthy in the blink of an eye. JPug and I do a pretty decent job of meal planning so I thought I’d share some tips and tricks I use to make things easier. We’re by no means the gold standard in this arena but I think we do a pretty decent job.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Before putting together our menu for the week, I take a look at our calendar. How many nights will we need dinner? Will JPug and I both be home for dinner every night? What post-work commitments do we have that dictate having easy vs. more complex meals? For example, this week I’m volunteering with Girls on the Run Monday and Wednesday and we’re having dinner out for a fundraiser on Thursday. Before I even start thinking about actual meals, I know Monday and Wednesday need to be quick and we won’t need anything for Thursday.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Next, we turn to the fridge/pantry/freezer. What items do we already have that we could use as ingredients for this week’s meals? JPug and I buy proteins (salmon, chicken, etc.) in bulk when they go on sale and freeze them to use in the following weeks/months. We also freeze leftovers to use on nights when we want a homemade meal but don’t have the time or motivation to cook. Frozen proteins and leftover meals from previous weeks usually give us a decent starting point. From there, we look at the fridge and pantry to see what else we have. For example, last week we had Taco Wantons (recipe to come in a future post) so we had sour cream and cheese left over. We also had a handful of tortillas left over from previous week and some chicken in the freezer. So, tonight we’re using all of those things to make Chicken Fajitas. We purchased a few supplemental ingredients at the store but we already had the basics for our meal.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Once I know how many and what type of dinners I need, I start on the actual menu…filling in meals made with items we already have first. From there, I add a mixture of different proteins, veggies, grains and fruit to provide variety…choosing recipes that vary in degree of difficulty based on the amount of free time we have in the evening. Speaking of recipes, I pull recipes from a massive, ridiculous file of clippings from various magazines I’ve been collecting for years or <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/">Food Network</a>/<a href="http://www.allrecipes.com/">All Recipes</a> where I’ve configured my own online recipe boxes.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Once I have dinners planned, I review my list to see what I can over prepare…leftovers to freeze and use for a future week or extras to use for lunches. From there, I add basic lunch ideas, healthy snacks and our go-to yogurt/berries/granola for breakfast to the grocery list.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>Below is an example of this week’s menu:</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Monday – Leftover Pepper Steak from a previous week</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Tuesday – Chicken Fajitas</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Wednesday – Chicken Salad Wraps</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Thursday – Dinner Out/Fundraiser</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Friday – Salmon/Rice/Veggie…recipe from Food Network<br />
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If you're not currently a meal-planner...hopefully this post gives you some tips and tricks to get started. If you are a planner, what things help you with your planning that I didn't mention?! </div>Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494495449047825641.post-91978608426913946112012-04-04T15:00:00.001-05:002012-04-04T15:00:05.304-05:00Good Idea, Questionable Decision<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Almost a year ago, some close friends were looking to hold a garage sale to raise money for their pending adoption. They live in a townhouse not too far from JPug and me but it wasn’t a great place to hold the type of grand-scale garage sale they were hoping for. Our subdivision holds a neighborhood garage sale each spring that gets a decent amount of traffic and we weren’t looking to sell many (if any) items ourselves so we offered up our garage and driveway for their cause.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">They collected items from friends, family members and complete strangers both near and far…enough that the collection completely consumed our entire three-car garage, except for the two spaces where we park our cars. As JPug and I perused the house to find items to donate, we settled on a couch and armoire (among other things) from one of our extra bedrooms. Our line of thinking was pretty simple, the couch and armoire which turned the extra bedroom into an ever-ready Wii room would eventually be a nursery. The opportunity presented itself to help our friends sell bigger-ticket items while getting the items out of the house without having to load them a truck and drive somewhere to donate. As long as our friends could get the items out of the room and down the stairs…they were free to sell them to the highest bidder. The items did sell that day along with many others that provided a huge boost to the couple's adoption fund. JPug and I truly couldn't have been happier for our friends.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Fast forward nearly a year and the once ever-ready Wii room is a heartbreaking shell on the 2<sup>nd</sup> floor of our home. Completely empty…it's a constant reminder of our unsuccessful process. I’ve had the door closed for months and rarely go in the room unless I have to. Hopefully one day it will be filled with fresh paint, a crib and a growing baby but for now it’s out of sight and more often than not, out of mind. At the time of the sale, I had no idea what the process had in store for us and didn't think twice about donating the items. Looking back, I can't say I would do anything differently but I'd be lying if I said the emotions tied to the room weren't painful. </div>Laineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17884315110889571849noreply@blogger.com1